Sheet-separating machines



April 22, 1958 G. W. TEBBS SHEET-SEPARATING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 4, 1954 Illllllrlllll Il! April 22, 1958 G, w. TEBBS 2,831,683

SHEET-SEPARATING MACHINES Filed Oct. 4, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 74 'Il ,l 7 L-' |Il l 6 G. W. TEBBS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 SHEET-SEPARATING MACHINES April 22, 195s Filed Oct. 4, 1954 April 22, 1958 G. w. TEBBS 2,831,683

SHEET-SEPARATING MACHINES Filed Oct. 4, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 4- :u: Ja W02 ,'24

l l l l l H fag l M4 @n/@ April 22, 1958 G. w. TEBBS SHEET-SEPARATING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed OCT.. 4. 1954 April 22, 1958 G. w. TEBBS SHEET-SEPARATING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIGB Filed Oct. 4, 1954 INVENTOR GEORGE WILLIAM Tasas ATTORNEYS United States Patent O Claims. (Cl. 271-62) England, assignor to Nassau, Bahamas, Brit- The invention relates to sheet-separating machines of the kind which operate to separate and remove sheets from the top of a pile and which have pile elevating means by which the pile is gradually raised, as the sheets are removed, to maintain the top of the pile at a substantially constant height. One example of such a machine is described in British patent specification No. 427,041 and another example is described in specication Serial No. 460,125 led October 4, 1954. A difliculty which arises with machines of this kind is that of ensuring continuity of operation when the replaced by a fresh pile. Various arrangements have been proposed and used to avoid this difficulty and it is an object of the .present invention to provide an improved and simplified construction by which the difliculty may be overcome and substantially continuous operation achieved.

The invention provides a sheet-separating machine of the above kind in which the pile elevating means comprise two pile supports guided for up and down movement normally one above the other, and each operable to support a pile independently of the other, an upwardly extending elongated elevating member or several such members, operable to elevate each of the pile supports at a rate to maintain the top of a pile supported thereby at a substantially constant height as the sheets are removed from the top of the pile, releasable means for clutching each of the supports to the elevating member, or members, or each to a diiferent member, to be elevated thereby and means whereby each support may, on release of the clutching engagement, be given a downward movement or be given an upward movement additional to that to be derived from the elevating member and the arrangement being that a pile carried on ferred to the upper support member, whereby when a pile carried by the upper support has been exhausted (or nearly exhausted) the lower support may be raised to bring the pile is exhausted and requires to be the lower support member may be transtop of a new pile carried thereby (including the vremainder of the upper pile, if any, seated on the top thereof) to the operating height and the upper support inay then be lowered while the elevation of the pile by the lower support is effected, to take over the new pile and effect elevation thereof, thereby to permit the lower support to be lowered and a fresh pile placed thereon.

In one form of the invention the means for giving the additional upward and the downward movement to the support are arranged to operate by climbing up and down the elevating member. y

In one construction according to the invention the elevating member is Van endless chain having an upwardly movable lap and one support, or each support, has a sprocket wheel engaging the upwardly movable lap of the chain and there are releasable means for locking the wheel against rotation whereby the sprocket wheel and the support will be moved upwardly by the chain and also means for rotating the sprocket wheel when released whereby the wheel may be caused to climb up or down the chain thereby to raise or tolower the support.

In an alternative arrangement the elevating member isN a screwed rod and one support, or eachsupport, has a toothed wheel (e. gfaworm wheel) engaged with the"` screw and there are releasable means for locking the wheel K 2,831,683 Patented Apr. 22,' 1958 ice 2 against rotation whereby moved upwardly on rotation of the rod-the wheel serving as the equivalent of a nut engaging the screw-thread-and there are also means (e. g. manually operable) for rotatmg the wheel when released whereby the wheel may be' caused to climb up and down the'rod after the rmanner of a rack and pinion thereby to raise and to lower `the support.

To effect the transfer of a pile from the lower to the neath a pile carrying board tween the two supports, above the pawls or latches. The .arrangement to achieve the result may include the feature that the two supports may be brought to substantiallyy the same level or the upper support may temporarily beY brought below the lower support.

As an example of the machine according to the invention. one specific construction embodying the .above 4and other novel features will now be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the machine,

Figure 2 is a view corresponding to Figure 1`showing` the pile elevating and supporting mechanism in greater detail,

Figure 3 is a view, from Figure 2, chanism,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the pile elevating and supporting mechanism and some associated parts, i

Figure 5 is a view to a larger mechanism as seen in Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a detail view ofthe feeler mechansmfor controlling the height of the pile,

Figure 7 is a plan view of one of the pile boards,

Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 in Figure 2, the view being to some extent diagrammatic; and

Figure 9 is adetail view showing a modiiication which u may be adopted.

The machine forming the subject of this example has sheet separating and forwarding mechanism, indicated generally at 10, constructed and arranged to operate onrthe top of a pile 12 of sheets and to transfer them to a removing conveyor 14 as described in specifications Serial Nos.I

460,123 and 460,125, both filed October 4, 1954. The

machinevis intended for feeding the sheets'to an addressingl machine. The separating Yand forwarding mechanism, which operates on the rear edgesof `the sheets, is slidable."`

along fixed bars 16 and adjustable to suit sheets of different sizes. The pilefis supported, elevated andy replenished by means of the mechanism to be described'.

At about conveyor 14) support brackets 21, 22 one above the other. The two lower brackets 22 are cross-connected at the front 23 and rear 24 for movement together as a l rectangular frame and the two upper brackets 21.-are

connections lie so that latches 52 upper brackets may pass, on the outside, a pile support plate 26 carried on the lower brackets. To facilitate the passing of the brackets in this way while ensuring proper 20 the brackets are guidedon p portions which embrace oppoVv support from the pillars the pillars 20v bychannel site sides of the pillars. The channel portions 28 on the the wheel and support will bev the opposite side to that of showing the pile elevating and supporting meA scale of partofKthe the centre of the machine there' are two. upright square-section guide pillars 20 one at each; lateral',V side of the pile. Vertically slidable on each of these pillars there are two rearwardly directed (i. e. awayffrom the asa 1,683

3 upper brackets `21 lie on the outside of the pillars 20, whereas the channel portions 30 on the lower brackets 22 lie on the inside of the pillars (see especially Figure 8).

In front of each pillar 20 there is an endless roller chain32 lying ina vertical fore and aft plane andV passlng'at the top over a driving sprocket 33 and at the bottom around the curved edge of a plate 34. Throughout its length the rear lap of the chain is supported by the edge of a vertical plate 35 held between the laps. Means, later described, are provided for intermittently rotating the driving sprockets 33 in accordance with the height of the top of the pile.

Mounted in bearings in the upper pair of brackets 21 there is a cross-shaft 38 which has at each end a sprocket wheel 39. The two sprocket wheels engage, on the outside, with the rear laps of the two chains respectively, these laps moving upwardly when the driving sprockets 33 are rotated as aforesaid. A releasable locking pawl 42 and ratchet wheel 44 combination is provided on one of the brackets 21 to hold the shaft 38 against reverse rotation, i. e. so that the sprocket wheels will, by their engagement with the chains, support the brackets against downward movement and the brackets will be raised by the chains as they move upwardly. The cross-shaft 38 is arranged for manual rotation in either direction by a handle 46 which is pivoted to a boss 47 keyed to the shaft 38. The ratchet wheel 44, which is also keyed to the shaft 38, is slidable along the shaft and has the ratchet teeth on its side face co-operating with the pawl 42 which is fixed to the bracket. The vboss of the ratchet wheel hasa projection 49 which is engageable by the handle 46 when the handle is moved inwardly towards the machine.` The arrangement is, that such inward movement of the handle slides the ratchet wheel out of engagement with the pawl. A return spring 48 eects reengagement of the wheel with the pawl on release of the handle. Consequently by inward pressure followed by rotation of the handle and the shaft the sprocket wheels may be caused to run or climb up or down the chains and the brackets' thereby raised; or lowered independent of any movement of the chains themselves.

A similar arrangement of sprocketv wheels 39, locking means 42, 44 and manually operable means 46 is provided for the lower brackets. The sprocket wheels 39 for the lower brackets 22 are positioned near the lower ends ofv the channels 30 and the sprocket wheels 39 for the upper brackets 21 are positioned high up on the channels 28 whereby the brackets may pass, as mentioned above and below, sufficiently far for the latchesY 52 lto engage under a board 26 on the brackets 22 before meeting `of the two sets of .sprocket wheels prevents further passing movement.

The lower brackets 22 provide supports for the .pile carrying board 26 at positions inside the lateral edges of the board, suitable dowel pins 50 being provided to locate the board on the brackets.

Theupper brackets 21 are positioned to pass outside the lateral edges of a pile board 26 supported on the lower brackets as just described and these brackets'21 are provided with spring pressed latches S2 (Figure 8) which are arranged toV be deected outwardly by the edges of the board 26 as the board passes the latches during relative upward movement and then to spring back beneath the board ready to engage and support the board on upward movement of the brackets 21.

The means for intermittently rotating the driving sprockets 33 to maintain the top of the pile at a constant height will now be described. Extending transversely of the machine there is a main driving shaft 60 which is rotated by a driving motor as described in specification Serial No. 460,125. At one end this shaft carries a cam 62 which operates through a rod 63 and a bell-crank lever 64 to impart parallel up and down movements to a rail 65. The separator mechanism embodies an operating cross-shaft 66 which has a downwardly sloping radial arm (not shown) which is slotted at its end to embrace the top and bottom surfaces of the rail 65. Consequently the up and down movements of the rail rock the shaft 66. The separator mechanism also embodies a cross-shaft 68 (Figure 6) to which there are tixed a feeler 70 to seat Von the top of the pile at about the centre thereof and two arms 71, 72. The shaft 66 carries an arm 74 which, as the shaft rocks, operates through a spring 73 to press the arm 71 downwardly and so to press the feeler onto the pile. Upward movement of the arm 71 is effected by a spring 76 and limited by engagement of a stop 77 with the support bracket 78. The arm 72 carries a downwardly directed screw 85 which engages withv a rail 7S pivoted about the axis 79 (Figure 4) to one of the bars 16. Accordingly downward movement of the arm 72 depresses the rail to an extent determined by the extent to which the feeler moves downwardly before being stopped by the pile, according to the height thereof. The rail 75 has an extension at one end with a hook which makes latching engagement with a pin 81 (Figure 5). The pin 81 is on an upwardly extending lever 82 which is pivoted at 83 to the machine frame. The lever is spring urged to the left as viewed in Figure 5 and is held against such movement by the latching engagement of the pin 81 with the hook 80 until the rail has been depressed, when the pile is low, to release the engagement. When release, the lever moves into engagement with `a pawl 84 and presses it into a notch in a ratchet wheel 86 which is lixed to a shaft 87 to which the sprocket wheels 33 are secured. The pawl 84 is carried on an arm 88 pivoted on the shaft 87 and arranged for rocking movement by a cam 90 on the main driving shaft 60. So long as the pile height is sutiicient the pawl 84 remains out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 86 and the movements of the arm 88 are idle. When the pile height falls the pawl is engaged with the ratchet wheel as above described and the rocking movement of the arm 88 then rotates the ratchet by a small amount and so operates the chains to lift the brackets and pile carried thereby. Near the limit of its movement, the arm 88 engages an abutment 92 on the lever 81 and resets the latch.

In operation of the machine, a pile board is placed on the lower vbrackets and a pile of sheets is built thereon. The brackets are then elevated manually by rotation of the sprockets to climb up the chains to bring the top of the pile to the working height, after which the pile is elevated automatically by movement of the chains, controlled by the feeler in the manner above described, as the sheets are removed. At a convenient stage in the elevation of the pile, the upper brackets are lowered, manually, to engage the latches under the pile board and the brackets are then raised until they carry the weight of the board and pile. Further elevation of the pile is then effected by automatic elevation of the upper brackets by the chains. The lower brackets may now be lowered and a fresh board and pile placed thereon. When the first pile is nearing exhaustion the lower brackets are manually raised to engage the top of the fresh pile with the underside of the board carrying the remainder of the previous pile. Elevation of the combined pile 1s then elected automatically through the lower support brackets until the remainder of the previous pile has been nearly completely exhausted when the pile board is removed, any remaining sheets thereon being allowed to fall' onto the fresh pile. The operation of transferring the pile to the upper brackets and the building of a new pile are then repeated at a convenient time.

Precautionary measures, known in themselves, may be taken to avoid undue disturbance of the sheets by removal of the pile board as aforesaid.

To assist in the building'of new piles adjustable stocking gauges for the front and sides of the pile are provided.

These gauges are carried on a xed frame beneath the brackets. In the construction shown in the drawings there are three upright gauges 100 at each side of the machine. The front gauge at each side is of angle section and receives the front corner of the pile within the angle thereby serving as a front and side gauge. The other two are strips and serve as side gauges. There is also a centrally located rear gauge 102 of the same height as the side gauges and adjustable in the fore and aft direction. As shown in Figure 7, the pile boards 26 are cut away at the front corners to avoid interference with the angle gauges and have laterally extending slots 104 tting over the two side gauges and a fore and aft slot 105 to fit over the rear gauge. The side gauges are adjustable in the manner described in specication Serial No. 460,125. To facilitate removal of the pile boards as above described the side and rear gauges are restricted in height so that a board in position for removal is clear of the tops of the gauges or at least the side gauges.

Supported from the separator frame is a rear gauge which extends downwards through the slot 105 in the pile board when the latter is in its raised operative position. When it is desired to remove the board from the pile, the board is withdrawn rearwardly until the end of the fore and aft slot in the board reaches the rear gauge. This gauge is slidable vertically and it is then raised to allow the board to be completely withdrawn. This arrangement allows both the portions of the pile above and below the plate, respectively, to be held against disturbance by the withdrawal of the board.

The invention is not restricted to the detailed constructional features described above. For example, guide means travelling with the brackets may be provided for causing the elevating chains to engage around a substantial arc of the sprockets. A further modication which may be eected is shown in Figure 9. In this modification the chains 32 at each side of the machine are replaced by rotatable screwed rods 132. Each support bracket 21 and 22 has a toothed wheel 139, which replaces the sprocket wheel 39 and is engaged with the screw. Pawls 42, ratchet wheels 44 and handles 46 are provided as above described. Operation of the handles to rotate the wheels 139 will cause the brackets to climb up and down the rods whereas rotation of the rods when the wheels are locked will elevate the brackets in a manner equivalent to elevation by the chains as above described.

It is to be understood that the expression pile board is used herein to include a thin plate of metal or other material capable of supporting the pile.

I claim:

l. A sheet separating machine of the kind described in which the pile elevating means comprise two pile supports guided for up and down movement normally one above the other, and each operable to support a pile independently of the other, upwardly extending elongated movable elevating means common to the two supports and op erable by their movement to elevate each of the pile supports at a rate to maintain the top of a pile supported thereby at a substantially constant height as the sheets are removed from the top of the pile, driving means for eifecting movement of the elevating means as aforesaid, releasable means for clutching each of the supports to the movable elevating means to be elevated thereby and means whereby each support may, on. release of the clutching engagement, be given up and down movement independent of the movement of the elevating means, and the arrangement being that a pile carried on the lower support may be transferred to the upper support, whereby when a pile carried by the upper support is approaching exhaustion the lower support may be raised to bring the top of a new pile carried thereby (including the remainder of the upper pile, if any, seated on the top thereof) to the operating height and the upper support 6 may then be lowered while the elevation of the pile by the lower support is effected, to take over the new pile and effect elevation thereof, thereby to permit the lower support to be lowered without interference with the supply of sheets and a fresh pile placed thereon.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for giving independent up and down movement to the t supports operate by climbing up and down the elevating means.

3. A machine as claimed in claim l in which the elevating means comprise an endless chain having an upwardly. movable lap and at least one of the supports has a sprocket wheel which engages the upwardly movable lap of the chain and there are releasable means for locking the sprocket wheel against rotation whereby the sprocket wheel and the support will be moved upwardly by the chain and also means for rotating the sprocket wheel when released whereby the wheel may be caused to climb up and down the chain thereby to raise and to lower the support.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the elevating means comprise a screwed rod, the driving means areoperative to rotate the rod and at least one of the supports has a rotatable member engaged with the screw and there are releasable means for locking the member against rotation whereby the member and support will be moved upwardly on rotation of the rodthe member operating as a nut engaging the screw-thread-and there are also means for rotating the member when released whereby the member may becaused to climp up and down the rod thereby to raise and lower the support.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 in which the rotatable member is a toothed wheel having teeth which engage with the screw, the wheel when rotated cooperating with the rod after the manner of a rack and pinion.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the upper support has means by which it may pick up a pile carried on the lower support.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6 in which the means for picking up the pile comprise at least one latch automatically engageable underneath a pile-carrying board on the lower support, when the board is brought by relative vertical movement between the two supports, above the latch.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the normally upper support is a frame which will pass around the outside of the normally lower support.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 1 and including a feeler for the top of the pile, and means responsive to the feeler to clutch the driving means to the elevating nealns when the top of the pile is below a predetermined eve 10. A machine as claimed in claim l in which the driving means for effecting movement of the elevating means comprise a feeler for the top of the pile, an oscillatable driving member, a presser member, a spring connection between the driving member and the presser member, a main driving shaft and a clutch device to connect the driving shaft to the elevating means, said device including a latch operative to hold the clutch disengaged and releasable to permit engagement of the clutch by movement of the presser member, and the feeler being operable to prevent such movement of the presser member until the feeler detects that the top of the pile is below a predetermined level.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,185,947 Neer Jan. 2, 1940 2,589,428 Pearce Mar. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,465 Great Britain Sept. 9, 1911 605,424 Great Britain July 22, 1948 

